We got up at 5:00 am to make our way to Dulles
Airport for a trip to Deadrock Ranch, just
outside Livingston, Montana. We were the guests of the Phillip
Morris Company at the 1998 Marlboro Ranch Party.

Our flight took us first to Salt Lake City, with a sweeping
view of the Great Salt Lake. From then, we moved on to Billings,
Montana, where the ranch had dispatched a special bus to pick us
up. Better yet, they had thought to provide a very tasty lunch
for our consumption during the 130 mile drive from the airport to
the ranch. We were also treated to a variety of cowboy snacks,
including ranch-made beef jerky.

When we passed through the gates of the ranch, Elizabeth, our
guide, put the Theme from the Magnificent Seven on the
stereo. As we looked out the window, a group of Wranglers came
riding at full gallop out of the sagebrush, whooping and
hollering; one was even brandishing a bullwhip... What an
introduction!

Approaching DeadrockLooks deserted..

This is the first sight of Deadrock. At the time, it really
looked like a Ghost Town!

Main StreetSagebrush in the streets...

Our bus stopped in front of what appeared to be a throughly
dead Ghost town. Most of the buildings lacked paint and the
street was liberally overgrown with weeds. We were stunned to
find out that this was almost all brand new construction ---
very carefully done to give the feel of a Western town in the
1890s. The full details of this incredible feat may be found in
the August, 1996 issue of Architectural Digest.

Initial ImpressionsAn interesting concept

Frank gets the lay of the land from Floyd, the head wrangler
and Mark, the Ranch manager.

In fact, the ranch hides the very best of modern convenience
inside a shell that evokes the all-persuasive Myth of the
American Cowboy. All of the small buildings in the "Ghost
Town" are, in fact, luxury suites. All of the furniture are
Western antiques, and we were told that every chair, bed or table
came from before 1908. We had a room in the
"Stagecoach Hotel" --- it was very charming and well-
laid out with lots of windows.

UnpackingWe had to do a lot in four days...

Our room was very interesting. The designer had made a king
size bed by welding together two older twin beds. All of the
furniture was country antiques, updated for luxury service. Of
note, there are no television sets on the ranch.

The bath featured "Old- Time" fixtures (including a
water closet with a pull- chain...). On our way to dinner, I
closed the weathered pine door to the room --- when I noticed a
metal plaque on the hinge edge that certified the fire-rating.
It was a new metal door very cleverly designed to look like a
very old interior door!

The SaloonGourmet Dining!

We attended a brief orientation session and were then treated
to a sumptuous buffet of smoked salmon and barbecued shrimp.
After a brief trip to the hot-tub to work out the kinks from
travel, we dressed for dinner in some 1940s vintage Western wear
that we were able to find in Frederick. The dinner was mountain
trout and elk tenderloin with a spectacular array of roasted
vegetables. Dessert was apple cobbler and home made cinnamon
ice cream. Best of all, the ranch has a very large coffee
machine that is always full. This is a big treat if you drink as
much coffee as I do...

We took a stroll in the last moments of daylight and got a
small glimpse of the majesty of the 18,000 acre ranch. We
strolled over to the corral to pick out horses for our ride on
the next day. Given the attention to detail for the West of the
1890s, I had some reservations about just where Lindy Hop was
going to come in. When we walked back to the town, we heard some
familiar sounds emanating from the "saloon", which also
serves as the dining hall and the entertainment center. It was
Zoot Suit Riot.

HeartbeatJerry Lee Lewis, watch out!

The entertainment for the evening was Heartbeat, an
excellent trio from Belgrade, Montana (for booking information
contact Rich or Chris Mayo at 406-388-2061). This group was
very capable in all genres from classic country to our favorite,
Jerry Lee Lewis. We waited for a few songs to let the crowd
settle down, and then did our first demo to Great Balls of
Fire. Unfortunately, we also discovered the Altitude -- the
ranch is at 8,000 feet and we were both gasping for oxygen at the
end of the dance. After recovering, we found that we could only
do one dance every half hour. But, Lindy Hop seemed to be very
well received at Deadrock. At 1:00 am (3:00 DC time), we finally
called it quits, because we had to rise with the sun for our next
day's adventure.

BethThe Philip Morris Lady

After our demo, we had a very nice time chatting with Beth, an
executive with the Phillip Morris Company. Again, our thanks to
our hosts for making this great trip possible.

As we said, before, we took quite a few photos, so we have
divided the story into parts to minimize download time: